Women’s World Championship Round 1 Completed in Khanty-Mansiysk

One of the biggest upsets was Elizabeth Paehtz’s loss 0.5-1.5 to a young Iranian player Mobina Alinasab

Round 1 of Women’s World Championship Completed in Khanty-Mansiysk

Prior to the start of the first round of the Women’s World Championship, the official flag of FIDE was raised in front of the Ugra Chess Academy. This very flag was presented to Ugra Chess Federation President Vassily Filipenko during the closing ceremony of the Chess Olympiad in Batumi. As Khanty-Mansiysk will host the next Chess Olympiad in 2020, for the next two years the flag of FIDE will remain in the capital of Ugra.

The first round of in Khanty-Mansiysk didn’t go without surprises. Thus, one of the biggest upsets was Elizabeth Paehtz’s loss 0.5-1.5 to a young Iranian player Mobina Alinasab. Zhai Mo and Zhu Jiner from China defeated 2-0 the higher rated Olga Girya (Russia) and Lela Javakhishvili (Georgia) respectively.

Valentina Gunina, Tan Zhongyi, Monika Socko, Jolanta Zawadzka, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Natalija Pogonina, Anna Ushenina, and Bela Khotenashvili defeated their opponents 1.5 to 0.5. Alina Kashlinskaya (Russia) did not manage to come back after the defeat in the first game, and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova (Uzbekistan) also advanced to the next round with a draw in their second encounter.